1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for controlling functions of a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly to a system and a method for controlling predetermined functions of a mobile communication terminal in a predetermined zone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the rapid development of the mobile communication field, mobile communication terminals can perform various functions. For example, camera phones have emerged that can perform camera functions using cameras embedded in the mobile communication terminal, without a separate camera. With the appearance of such mobile communication terminals having camera functions as described above, inappropriate use of camera functions and data transmission in a company or a public place may give rise to inappropriate behavior or social criticism. For instance, taking a photograph of a person in a public bath using a camera phone having a camera function and transmitting the photographed image is very problematic. Another problem associated with camera phones involves preservation of confidential information of a company. Security of such confidential information can be compromised by the ability to photograph by a camera phone and transmit the photograph to an exterior location as a data file.
To prevent the camera function or the data transmission function from being used in a predetermined zone requiring security as described above, conventional methods prohibit a user from carrying the camera phone going into a predetermined zone. However, such conventional methods prevent the mobile communication terminal itself from being used, thereby depriving the user not only of the camera functions and the data transmission function, but also of other functions, such as a communication function, a text transmission function, address book function, planner function or alarm function. The inability to utilize the other functions causes the user to suffer an unnecessary inconvenience.
There exists another conventional method for restricting the functions of the mobile communication terminal in a predetermined zone which utilizes a satellite or a predetermined device. However, such a method may violate individuals' private lives.
The conventional methods described above prevent the camera function or the data transmission function from being used in a predetermined zone by prohibiting a user from carrying a mobile communication terminal itself having these functions into the predetermined zone. Therefore, the user suffers from inconvenience of not being able to access other functions commonly provided in the mobile communication terminal.